the Heart Captor
by And-Go
Summary: What changed over the summer? She looked exactly the same! So what's with all the attention? HGSS primarily. I'm running betaless for now, unless there are real problems with grammar and stuff. R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

AN: Yeah, I'm ignoring Book 6 AND 7. Oh the power of fan fiction… 'tis a beautiful thing.

Chapter One

The train tooted his horn as it left Kings Cross. The Hogwarts Express was used to this route, as it had been transporting the students of Hogwarts to-and-from school for so many years it was hard to keep track. Hermione Granger, who was also used to this familiar train-ride, gently sat in an empty compartment with her luggage neatly tucked away. It was her seventh year at Hogwarts – her very last year. She came to the train station this morning with mixed emotions. Seventh year was supposed to be the best. But life without Hogwarts seemed hard to grasp. Unfortunately, she knew that the weeks would quickly turn into months, and the year would be over before she was ready to leave.

"Seventh year," Ron sighed happily, taking a seat beside Hermione and draping an arm around her shoulder. "It's gonna be great!" he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze and releasing her. "Let's not ruin it like Percy did with worrying about school work and exams."

_As if!_ Hermione thought. Seventh year may be fun, but school work can be fun, too… Or maybe she had tricked herself into thinking that for so long that now going to the library just seemed like something all the cool kids were doing. Anyway, worrying about exams was something she did best. After all her work from previous years, she was not going to throw it all away because Ronald Weasley wanted to have fun during his last year at school. No sir.

But Harry Potter wasn't worrying about exams or zits, or any other teenager things. There were more important things to worry about. Lord Voldemort was still at large, and Harry knew he had to be the one to out him. He knew that this year wouldn't be like other years, in which he tried and failed to stop Voldemort. This year would be _the year._ Now that Dumbledore and Harry figured out how to finish him off, it wouldn't be long until he was gone for good.

Harry didn't expect Ron or Hermione to leave school with him, nor did he want them to. He wanted them to stay at Hogwarts where it was safe. He wanted their lives to be normal and carefree. Honestly, he wished, for their sakes, that he had never met them.

Ginny joined them soon after they arrived. She took a seat next to Harry and gave him a kiss on the cheek, which made Ron tense and Harry relax. "Oh, Ron, chill out," she said as she saw his fists form. They had been going out for nearly a year, so you'd think Ron would get over it. Apparently not.

Hermione rested her hand on Ron's fist, attempting to calm him down. They were had been going out, too, but only for the summer. Immediately he reacted, lacing their fingers together and giving her a grateful smile. At this moment, she really did feel like she was in love with him. He was _her_ Ron, no matter how infuriating he may be at times. She wanted him since first year. Now that they were together she could almost hear a choir singing with praise and joy.

And at that instant their compartment door was abruptly thrown open, causing all four of them to jump.

"Granger," said an unwelcome yet horribly familiar voice. Draco Malfoy leaned coolly against the doorway, examining everyone in the compartment with a look of disgust on his face as if he were looking at rats in a bin. But his face scrunched up even more when his ice blue eyes reached Hermione's hand laced with Ron's.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron said too defensively. His hand tightened around Hermione's protectively, as if Draco had intentions of stealing her away. Which he did, but not in the way Ron was thinking of.

"Down boy," Draco said nonchalantly to Ron. Facing Hermione he said, "We're supposed to be helping the first years find their robes and compartments. So don't get too cozy."

"Why do _you _have to do that?" Harry asked rudely.

"Why else, Potter? I'm Head Boy and Granger is Head Girl."

Ron's jaw nearly hit the ground as Draco said this. Lord knows what was going through his mind! Knowing Ron, he was likely thinking of how Hermione and Draco would be sharing a common room, and how much time they would be spending together, which, in reality, they didn't have to spend any time together at all.

"Okay," Hermione said unhappily. "See you guys later, I guess." Ron let go of her hand as she stood up and watched her leave.

"Don't try anything, Malfoy," she heard Ron say. Draco simply smirked, but only to get a rise out of Ron. He closed the compartment door and quickly followed Hermione before Ron could chuck something at him.

"So you and the Weasel finally made it official," Draco said in an amused sort of way.

"Yep," Hermione said as she knocked on a compartment door lightly and poked her head in. "First years?" she asked them, giving them a smile to let them know that she came in peace. The three boys that sat inside all nodded.

Hermione turned to Draco and asked him if he would kindly retrieve three robes from a drawer outside of the compartment, which was closest to him.

"Do it yourself, Granger," he said, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.

"Oh, don't tell me I have to do this all on my own!"

Draco smirked, but said nothing and stood still as Hermione attempted to get past him and to the drawer. She grabbed three black robes for the boys and had to get around Draco all over again.

"Here you go," she said handing each boy a robe. "You'll want to change into this before we get to school."

"Can I ask you something?" one boy asked, eyeing both Draco and Hermione.

"Sure."

"What house are you in?"

"Gryffindor," Hermione answered with a proud smile on her face. "What house do you want to be in?"

The boys exchanged looks, their faced tinting red. "I want to be in Gryffindor."

"Honestly!" Draco said, grabbing her arm and closing the compartment door. "We don't have time for small talk. I'd rather be elsewhere."

"Then why don't you run along? I can do this a lot easier without you standing in my way." She knocked on another compartment door filled with young kids, "First years?" When they confirmed, she got a few robes out.

"Because I'd never hear the end of it from McGonagall if someone – oh, like you or your little friends – decided to tell her that I didn't do anything. Plus, that woman has spies everywhere."

Hermione grunted. "I guess that means I'm stuck with you." She gave the kids their robes and closed the compartment door.

"_You're_ stuck with _me_? Reverse that, then it will be right."

Draco did start helping, but he basically threw robes into compartments. Once these girls yelled back, "We're not first years!" He told them to go find first years that needed robes. As if he cared. He was Draco Malfoy. Caring would give him wrinkles. 

They finished just before the train came to a stop, and departed without saying a word to each other. Just as it should be. 

Ron, Harry, and Ginny waited for Hermione by a carriage. "Look, Ron, she's alive," Ginny said jokingly.

"Why does _Malfoy_ have to be Head Boy?" Ron complained.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You keep asking that. We still don't know."

"He's the smartest boy in our class," Hermione offered. "Some people think smart and responsible go hand in hand. Unfortunately they are wrong. Malfoy hardly did anything today. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year will be like…"

"I've lost Trevor, again!" Neville complained as he approached the carriage, which took off as soon as he got on. "This is going to be like first year all over again! I just know it."

"Hey Neville," they all said in unison.

"Um, Neville," Harry said cautiously. "Look in your left pocket." He was trying not to laugh to save Neville from the embarrassment.

Trevor the toad was indeed in Neville's left pocket of his robe, just hanging out. When Neville took the toad out, he groaned, "Exactly like first year…"

The carriage ride was filled with words of encouragement for Neville's sake. "This year will be great," Ginny offered. "You'll see."

Once they got to the castle, they all headed for the Great Hall. Hermione was starving since there was no time to get any food from the trolley on the train. She hadn't eaten since breakfast. Unfortunately, she would have to wait for the first years to get sorted into their houses before she could eat anything.

Soon after arriving in the Great Hall, the first years piled in. They all looked frightened and amazed at the same time. Some gazed up at the ceiling, wondering how it looked like the nights sky. Some watched the older students watching them. Others stared down at their shoes, too afraid to look at anything around them.

Professor McGonagall began reading the names of the new students, each one different in size and figure. The first little Gryffindor to be sorted was called Tom Barry, who was the boy who told Hermione that he wanted to be in Gryffindor earlier that day. When he sat down, Hermione smiled and congratulated him.

Professor Snape's eyes searched the Great Hall for no one in particular. He saw familiar face after familiar face, regretting that some students chose to return for their seventh year (Neville Longbottom, for example). He was unpleased to see the unhealthy number of new students Gryffindor had gained this year, but also thankful for it meant more chances to deduct house points. It irked him that Miss Granger welcomed them all with a smile on her face, as if being a Gryffindor was the best thing ever.

His scowl party was interrupted when Dumbledore stood up to give his annual first-day-of-school speech. How unfortunate, for scowl parties were his favorite type of party.

"Welcome first years and beyond," Dumbledore began. "Before we start eating, I would like to remind you that the Forbidden Forrest is still forbidden. Any student found sneaking in or out of the forest will have to suffer the consequences…."

Every year the speech was the same. Hermione didn't usually tune it out, but this year she felt that, after hearing it six times prior, she was entitled to this luxury. Her eyes began to explore the Hall, looking for faces that she had been deprived of for three months.

Though he was sitting, Hermione could tell that Dean Thomas had somehow gotten taller. How much could one boy grow? Seamus Finnigan looked exactly the same, and he waved at her when their eyes met. Parvati and Lavender were whispering in each others ears. They were most likely informing each other of their summers.

Now for the teacher's table: Hagrid looked far too pleased to be there, possibly already drunk. Trelawney looked shaky, as per usual. Snape looked the same; same old black, greasy hair, same old hook nose, same old clothes.

Snape felt as if he were being watched, and he followed the sensation back to Miss Granger. As soon as she saw his eyes lift up towards hers, Hermione ducked her head and darted her eyes elsewhere in embarrassment. _Strange girl_, Snape thought. He smirked at the satisfaction of embarrassing her. How he wished to call her out on the fact that she clearly wasn't listening to Dumbledore's speech. But then again, neither was he.

Finally, Dumbledore said, "Enough talking. You all look ravenous! Let's eat." And food appeared on the table, just like magic.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

After the substantial welcoming feast, Hermione made sure that the new prefects remembered to gather up all of the first year Gryffindors to lead them back to the common room. She made sure that no first year was left behind and that no prefect was neglecting to do their job.

Professor McGonagall met her outside of the Great Hall as she walked through the doors. In all the hustle and bustle of the new term, Hermione forgot that she did not even know where the Head common room was. Hogwarts, even after years of wandering about it with Harry and Ron, was still a mystery. Alas, that is why one thinks before wandering off alone, lest risking the chance of getting lost. Thankfully, Professor McGonagall informed Hermione that she would be leading her to the Head common room.

The dimly lit hallways which lead to the common room were extensive, but it wasn't worse than walking up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower on the seventh floor. The two women's shoes clunked down on the stone floor with every step, and every step echoed off the walls of the castle. Hermione's thin arms were covered in goose bumps from the chilly corridor. When they finally reached a portrait, Hermione saw Professor Snape and Draco just arriving as well from a different route. Hermione wondered if their voyage had been shorter than the one McGonagall took her on. Both men barely looked at either Hermione or Professor McGonagall. Instead, their eyes examined the portrait before them.

"Severus," McGonagall greeted, only to receive a grunt in return from the pale, dark-eyed man. "Hello, Cosmo," she said, referring the man in the portrait before them. The man smiling back at McGonagall wore a suit from the 1800s, looking good as new. "Hello, Venus," she said to the woman in the portrait who smiled back and curtseyed. She wore an elegant blue dress that went well with her platinum blonde hair. Both figures in the portrait had silver rings on their wedding fingers. _How cute._

"This is Draco Malfoy," McGonagall went on to introduce the students, gesturing to the blond boy, whose eyes were not kind toward the two. "And this is Hermione Granger. They are the new Head Boy and Girl." She turned to the students. "This is Cosmo, who, as you should know, is the wizard credited for the invention of Veritaserum, and this is his wife, Venus, who came up with the antidote."

Hermione smiled up at both of them. Yes, she did recognize both of them from the picture in her History of Magic book. "Nice to meet you," she greeted sincerely.

"What's the password?" Draco asked his Head of House curiously and anxiously, not interested in conversing with portraits. His eyes searched the portrait as if he could see through it. There were so many rumors about the Head common room, and Draco probably wanted find out if they were true or not. Hermione, too, was anxious to see the inside; to see if the rumors were true. Ron and Harry would undoubtedly throw questions her way as soon as possible.

"Jobberknoll," Snape replied, almost growling in his speech as usual.

"One of the key ingredients of Veritaserum!" Cosmo said breathlessly as the portrait swung open.

Hermione smiled sympathetically, knowing that creating Veritaserum was the only notable thing Cosmo had done in his life. But it did make him a generous amount of money, so he had a right to be proud.

Draco entered first and Hermione followed. Crookshanks was curled up on one of the couches, awaiting Hermione's return. The room was warmer than the corridor with a raging and welcoming fireplace. There were two doors, which undoubtedly lead to their separate rooms. It was like a small apartment without a kitchen. With a glimmer of hope, Hermione glanced upward to check if the rumor about the sky-like ceiling was true. Before she could be sure for herself, Draco frowned and crossed his arms across his chest. Nope, no such luck.

Snape and McGonagall entered after the students. "Your room is there, Miss Granger," said McGonagall, gesturing toward to door on the rightmost side of the room. "And Mr. Malfoy," she gestured toward the leftmost side. "Your duties will be posted on this board, as will your class schedules." There was, indeed, a sizable message board which already had things posted on it.

Hermione examined the papers on the board, and noted her schedule. Her eyes widened in horror and she let out a small gasp. Double Potions was first thing tomorrow with the Slytherins. Not only was it the first day of school, which was bound to be stressful, but it was the morning with Snape and the Slytherins. Three dreary hours in the cold dungeons.

And if Miss Granger thought her little gasp had gone unnoticed by Snape, she was wrong. For a moment he wondered if she didn't like her duties, but dismissed the thought. It must have been the schedule, he decided. At that, he smirked. He knew that the seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins had Double Potions in the morning. The fact that she didn't like the thought of it was somehow satisfactory to Severus.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Granger?" McGonagall asked, noticing Hermione's horrified look, which quickly vanished as she'd been caught.

"Oh, nothing," Hermione said quickly. "I just yawned. It's been a long day."

McGonagall nodded. "Indeed it has. You two should get some sleep," she said, turning to leave. "Good night." 

Snape nodded to Draco, and simply glanced at Hermione as he left. The fact that she lied was terribly amusing to him. He would have to make sure that tomorrow morning would be a morning Miss Granger would not soon forget. But what to do? The possibilities were endless…

As soon as the teachers left, Hermione picked up Crookshanks and snuggled him close. His furry body was warm to her cold hands. Before Hermione opened her bedroom door, Draco said, "You have a…" Draco paused, examining Crookshanks, "cat?" His face looked as it had on the train earlier, disgusted.

Hermione nodded. "His name is Crookshanks," she said proudly.

"I'm allergic to cats," he said. "Just… keep him in your room for the rest of the year."

Before Hermione could retort, he slipped inside his room and shut the door. Under no circumstances would Crookshanks be staying in one room for the rest of the year! That was ludicrous! Draco would simply have to stay in his room for the remainder of the year. Yes, that made more sense.

Hermione opened her bedroom door with her free hand and Crookshanks excitedly leapt from her arms to explore. The four-poster bed was the same as it had always been, and the room had been decorated in Gryffindor colors and flags. There was a door connecting to her private washroom, but she ignored it for now. Bed seemed much more appealing. Once she collapsed on the bed, Crookshanks followed and set camp on her stomach. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep against her cat's purring lullaby.

She woke up the next morning, disgusted at the taste in her mouth from neglecting to brush her teeth the evening prior. The room was cold without the luxury of a fireplace, and Hermione had forgotten to get under the covers. She glanced at her wristwatch and sighed in relief. Her body was something of a human alarm clock. Nearly every morning she woke up on time, and that was a marvelous thing. Reluctantly, she got up to retrieve her shampoo, conditioner, and tooth brush from her trunk so she could take a shower and brush her teeth.

Hermione took a quick shower, trying not to fall asleep against the cold wall. The warm water did its best to wake her up. Getting out of the shower, she looked at herself in the mirror and wondered whether or not it would begin speaking to her. With as much intensity as she could manage at such an early hour, she glared at her own eyes staring back at her.

"What's that look for?" Hermione's reflection wondered aloud. "You don't have anything to be angry about!" she said examining Hermione's body, which was only covered with a towel. Hermione's jaw dropped slightly, feeling a bit offended but amused at the same time. Her reflection shrugged, and with that, Hermione left to change in her bedroom.

Once dressed in her school robes, she filled Crookshanks' bowl with his favorite type of dry cat food and left her room to find Draco eying Crookshanks.

"I thought we agreed that this…" Draco paused, searching his head for the right word to say, "_thing_… would be staying in your room," he said, keeping his eyes on the cat. Crookshanks simply sat on the couch next to Draco, looking up at him curiously. His tail wagged from side to side. Hermione could almost read her cat's mind. It seemed that Draco knew what the cat thought, too. "Could you get him away from me? He looks like he's going to attack."

Hermione tried not to laugh. Crookshanks only attacked things that he thought would be some sort of a threat. Like spiders and Peter Pettigrew in third year. Who knew why the cat wanted to attack Draco? Surely he couldn't cause much harm at all. "You thought wrong," Hermione said as she walked over to pick Crookshanks up. "I can't force him to stay in one place for an entire year. That's just cruel."

"Then send him home! I could die, you know!" Draco said, rubbing his eyes and suddenly sounded nasally. "Ugh, now my eyes will be red for the entire day. I think I've got cat hair in my eye."

"Did you touch him?" Hermione asked Crookshanks more than Draco, but the Slytherin answered.

"Of course not! But it sheds like mad!"

"_He_," Hermione corrected. She could not deny that fact; Crookshanks did have a natural tendency to shed. But she'd be damned if Draco actually thought she was going to care for him over her Crookshanks. She scoffed, "I'm not sending him home." Draco was overreacting, she decided. His eyes were the same blue they had been since she first saw him in first year, unaffected by allergies or cat hair. With that, she set Crookshanks on the coffee table and left the common room.

Ron and Harry met Hermione at the Gryffindor table in their usual spot. "How was your first night with the ferret?" Harry asked, and Ron grimaced at the words. Hermione did not want to know what was going on in his mind. Ronald Weasley's mind was not a place brave men dared to venture.

"Fine," Hermione answered. With a small, amused smirk, she said, "He's allergic to cats." ("Brilliant!" Harry laughed.)

Ron snaked a hand around her waist and pulled her tiny body closer to his. "I missed you last night," he nearly purred in her ear. When Hermione threw him something close to a death glare at his seemingly suggestive tone, he went on. "You seemed so busy. I didn't even get to kiss you good night."

Severus Snape strode into the nearly empty Great Hall. It was still early. Most students were still getting ready. But not the golden trio, apparently. The three sat at their house table and… wait! What's this? Weasley and Granger? Together? What ridicule he could summon!

He watched as the lanky Weasley held on to Granger as if letting go would kill him, and Granger looked happy to be in his arms. Frankly, it was disgusting.

"Five points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley, for public displays of affection. You too, Miss Granger," he said in passing. He watched from the corner of his dark eyes as the redheaded boy's arms reluctantly settled away from the girl, and Hermione blushed with embarrassment.

Ron glared at the Potions professor as he billowed away. "He's just jealous," he said in a whisper. "A whore wouldn't even let him touch her." Harry laughed in bitter agreement. Hermione flinched at the rude comment, but was speechless. The urge to scold Ron's offensiveness was blinded by her discomfort.

It was silly, but she was mortified. There were only a few people in the Great Hall, but Snape said it loud enough so they could all hear his words. Hermione always felt that displays of affection should be kept private, aside from hugging and hand-holding. And the one time she let's her guard down, Snape broadcasted it to the students and teachers in the Great Hall!

Plus, now Snape just had another thing to poke fun at her about. As if he needed another reason. Potions would be hell, and starting her day off in hell did not seem the least bit pleasing.

"Are there actually rules against showing love around here?" Ron asked.

"No, I don't think there are," Harry answered.

It took no time at all for the Great Hall to fill with hungry students, who ate as quickly as possible as not to be late to their first class. Ron noticed Hermione's wearisome expression and held her hand to try to calm her down. The gesture made her jump at the contact and smile in thanks, though it did not make her feel any better. In fact, she abruptly snatched her hand away as they were about to walk into Potions class. Ron didn't seem to mind. He just followed her to the nearest table and sat beside her.

Moments after Hermione, Ron, and Harry arrived, Snape came through the door. He reached the head of the classroom and turned to face his class with a raised eyebrow. "Well?" he said, simply and rudely at the same time. The students shared questioning looks before the Potions Master pointed to the board where directions were written. "Get to work. _Quietly._"

Hermione's eyes examined the board. Doxy eggs? Check. Lovage? Check. Asphodel? Check. A Strand of Your Hair? Che—Wait… What? She looked at Ron, then the board again. Was Snape was making them produce Hate Potions? What else used a strand of hair, lovage, _and _doxy eggs? They were definitely brewing Hate Potions. And the only way to make sure they worked was to try them out on each other. The whole class would be tearing each other apart! If Hermione assumed correctly, Snape would have everyone switch potions with their table partner. He was going to make Hermione see all of Ron's faults! She looked from Ron to the board to Professor Snape so many times she began to get dizzy. Snape saw her head moving frantically and sighed.

"What is it, Miss Granger?" he asked from where he stood at the front of class. Her classmates all looked at her to hear her answer.

"We… We have to make a Hate Potion?" she said, furrowing her eyebrows.

Snape smirked as others gasped. After he witnessed the love fest between Hermione and Ron, Snape decided that an impromptu change in agenda wouldn't hurt anyone. "Afraid of ruining a most precious relationship?" Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came out. _Yes._ "The effects will wear off in 30 minutes or so," he said, addressing the class now. "Get back to work. Sit quietly when you're finished."

Reluctantly, Hermione got back to work. The potion took less than an hour to brew. Hermione stared it in horror. Things were going to well! Why did Snape have to ruin it? He said the effects wore off, didn't he? She hoped she would be able to forget what the potion made her think.

When everyone was finished, Snape said, "Now, switch potions with your partner. I will be changing some of your seats." Snape's lengthy fingers drummed on the table as he peered throughout the class. "Weasley, Malfoy. Switch."

_Damn,_ Hermione thought. As if she wasn't forced to spend enough time with him.

Ron stood up and clutched the vial of Hermione's potion. He made his way through the various tables and Hermione stopped watching him. It was then that she heard glass hit the floor, followed by a loud "OW!" Hermione's head snapped back to where Ron was to find him on the floor with her potion and broken vial.

"Clean it up, Weasley," Snape roared. "Granger, you will make it up tonight immediately after dinner." Hermione frowned. _Just perfect._

"Potter, Goyle. Go. Bulstode, Finnegan…" Snape threw names out and commanded that people switch, and once everyone was sitting by someone new he went on. "Drink the potion. Write down exactly what you experience."

Hermione downed the potion. It tasted horrible. Better than polyjuice potion, but still revolting. As the lumpy potion made its way down her throat, her eyes narrowed. _He's so clumsy! How dare he drop my potion? He doesn't have one amiable quality! Look at that face. Does he ever wash it? Goodness!_

"She's such a dog," Draco laughed quietly, interrupting her thoughts of hatred. "She looks like a dog. Follows me around like a dog. Needs attention like a dog. Pansy is a dog!"

"Ron is such a—" Hermione began, but Snape began to address the class again.

"Why are you all talking? Write it down!"

Hermione clutched her quill tight and began writing as if she were spilling her heart to a diary. She wrote: _Ronald Weasley is the most inept child that has ever walked the halls of Hogwarts. What did I ever see in him? He has no motivation, no dreams… No nothing!_

Thirty minutes passed, and Hermione felt horrible about what she wrote down in class. How could she ever think there was something wrong with his face? She enjoyed looking at it now. But did he really lack drive to do anything worth while? Maybe… _No. It was just the potion making things up. _Hermione did her best to push those thoughts aside and concentrate on her class work, but they always seemed to creep back into her mind. Thankfully, Ron did not seem to notice her unease for most of the day. That is, he did not notice until she flinched when he touched her arm to get her attention.

"Sorry, Ron," she said, trying to smile. "I just feel so overwhelmed today. And on top of today, I still have to go to make up that potion tonight." Now, Hermione did not necessarily mind that she had to make up the potion. Chances are she didn't even have to talk to Snape at all. And she wasn't overwhelmed by the first day of school, either. But anything was better than making Ron think that she was having second thoughts.

Ron's head fell, his too-long ginger hair falling in his face. "I'm really sorry about that, Hermione. I should have been more careful." He leaned away from her as they both sat on a couch in the Gryffindor common room, but held her hand nonetheless. Hermione's mouth opened to tell him not to worry about it. _Just forget today ever happened._

Harry prevented her from saying anything by walking over to the couch. He looked at Hermione first, giving her a "Trouble in paradise?" look, and then softened his expression to look at Ron. "Aren't you two hungry? Let's go to dinner."

Dinner did nothing for Hermione. All she wanted to do was get out of the Great Hall and do something that would take her mind off of that stupid Hate Potion. Unfortunately, it seemed she would find no escape seeing as she had to make it again. Ron insisted on walking her down to Snape's classroom, as it wasn't the smartest thing to wander down in the dungeons at night when you are not a Slytherin. He even gave her a risky kiss on the lips before she walked into the classroom.

Leaving Ron in the hall, she acquiescently opened the door and stepped inside. Snape sat at his desk with his head down and quill in hand. He scribbled something atop of the parchment and looked up. "Have a seat and get started. Bring it to me when you've finished."

Hermione did as she was told. As she did earlier that day, she chopped the lovage and asphodel into tiny pieces and added them to the cauldron at the same time. She stirred the concoction counter-clockwise for two minutes while slowly adding snake venom. Now came the waiting, the tedious clockwatching… Hermione checked the time. She would have to wait ten minutes until she could add in the doxy eggs. In the quiet, she could hear Snape's quill scratch at the parchment beneath it and Slytherin students passing the closed classroom door to get to their common room. Her eyes examined the damp walls of the classroom. The dungeons were so cold, especially at night when the sun refused to shine. The fireplace in the room was blazing behind Snape's desk. Surely he wouldn't mind if she just stood near the fire for a few minutes? It was worth a try.

She pushed her chair back almost reluctantly and stood up. Snape's head shot up at the sound of the chair scraping the floor. Hermione managed to ignore his hard gaze and walked right past him to stand near the fire. The heat radiating off of it melted her frozen hands after a few moments of horrendous waiting.

Snape hadn't stopped watching her with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you have a potion to be watching?"

"I have ten minutes to spare and it's freezing over there," she shivered, clutching onto every speck of Gryffindor bravery she had. The tone in her voice had been wrong. She did not mean for the statement to sound so rude, but it did. She didn't have to wait too long for what she knew was coming.

"Do not speak to me with such disrespect," the Professor said dully. "Five points from Gryffindor."

Hermione sighed as quietly as she could, afraid that Snape might take points from Gryffindor for that too. Her hands reached toward the fire, wanting to touch the flames. The heat wrapped around her arms and she could nearly feel it reach her legs beneath her robes.

Looking at her watch, she cursed the minutes for passing so quickly. Nine minutes was nearing its end. She quickly walked back to her table and added the doxy eggs one by one, just as the book instructed. _Almost finished._ Forty clockwise and three counter-clockwise stirs later, she set down her ladle and deposited the potion into a vial.

Snape was at the table before she could tell him she was finished. His eyes examined the color. Hermione knew it was the right shade of red. He brought the vial to his large, crooked nose. _Odorless_, just right. Without a word he downed the potion in a quick motion and set the empty vial down on the table. Hermione sat nervously, waiting for his worst.

"Granger," he said rather calmly. _Here it comes._ "Nothing is happening. I feel the same."

Hermione sat wide-eyed. She did everything right! The only reason, she knew, that he was feeling nothing must have meant he already hated her. Hate Potions do nothing for those who already hate. The thought of being hated brought tears to her eyes. She should have expected as much.

"You receive a T for lack of effort," Snape said as he walked back to his desk. Hermione's fingernails dug into her palms.

A failing grade. In the beginning of the year, no less! Tears pushed to get out of her confining eyes. Snape was being completely unfair. Hermione knew she made the potion exactly right. Frustrated and angry, she pushed back her seat quickly and stormed from the room with tears finally escaping.

AN: Sorry it took me so long to post! School is terrible, time-consuming, and creativity-draining. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, it was much appreciated!

Oh, and I hope you don't mind that there will be some slight DM/HG going on. It will be SS/HG, seeing as they're totally meant to be and all… Poor Ronnie.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Suggestions?

R&R!!


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